Interviewing

You’ve worked hard on your resume, created a targeted, convincing cover letter and networked with friends, faculty, staff, alumni and family all the with the goal of getting an interview.

Interviewing is a skill; successful interviewing is the result of preparation and practice. This is not the time to “wing it.” Preparation will help alleviate nerves and help you to present yourself as effectively as possible.

Remember that the purpose of an interview is two-fold.

The employer needs to find out if you are the best candidate for the job

Can you do the job?

Do you have the appropriate background, including education, skills and experience? Are you able to learn and adapt to their needs? Will you go “above and beyond” the basic expectations?

Will you do the job?

Do you want to work for this company, or do you simply see this as a stepping-stone? Are you aware of and honest about your future goals and plans? Are you motivated and eager to learn?

Do you want the job?

You need to find out if this is a good opportunity for you

Does this position fit well with your priorities?

Will you be able to apply your education and past experiences and learn new skills?

Is this company and department a good cultural fit?

Types of Interviews

Human resources and hiring managers just don’t have time to grant every promising resume a face-to-face interview. Instead, top performers in a phone interview with HR will advance to in-person interviews with a hiring manager.

Skype interviews are unique because you are in two venues at the same time. Through your computer screen, you are in the same room as the recruiter, and the recruiter is in the place you’ve decided to take your Skype call. According to the American Marketing Association, it is important to choose an appropriate setting for your interview. You need to find a quiet place with a door where you won’t be interrupted and that won’t distract your interviewer.

On-site interviews may involve multiple interviews, a company tour and introductions to key team members. The interview starts the second that you walk in the door, so be sure to be polite and respectful to everyone.

This type of interview is typically conducted by consulting or management firms. Employers like to use case/project interviews as a way of assessing your problem-solving skills. For more in-depth guidance on case interviewing, review the materials below and make an appointment with your career coach.

Mock Interview

Students can schedule appointments to meet with a career coach or career ambassador for a face-to-face mock interview or to review a recorded digital mock interview.

Many companies now use online platforms for part of the interviewing process (Skype, Hirevue, Google Hangouts). Get comfortable doing online interviews by practicing with the digital mock-interview feature on UCareerPath (link to digital mock interviews). You will be recorded for your personal review; you have the option of sending the interview to a career counselor to review together.

Behavior-Based Questions

Behavior-based questions are a staple of today’s interviewing process. Employers are interested in hearing about past experiences because they are good indicators of what an applicant’s future performance would be on the job.

Handling Illegal Questions

Various federal, state and local laws regulate the questions a prospective employer can ask you, the job candidate. An employer’s questions — whether on the job application, in the interview or during the testing process — must be related to the job you’re seeking. For the employer, the focus must be:

“What do I need to know to decide whether this person can perform the functions of this job?”

Preparation

Know yourself

Map your skills, abilities and accomplishments to the position for which you are interviewing. Completing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis can be helpful.

Research, research, research

Researching before an interview gives you a competitive advantage by showing you are proactive, and will indicate professional knowledge and interest. It also allows you to demonstrate you can speak intelligently about important issues and highlight how your qualifications fit the employer’s needs.

Review their website, especially products, services and new projects

Follow them on LinkedIn and other social media

Investigate culture on Glassdoor.com

Research for reputation, competitors and media coverage

Talk to present and/or past employees if possible

Ask the company if they administer tests to identify knowledge, personality or probability of success and how you might prepare

Practice, practice, practice

Practice your professional introduction and responses to common interview questions

Rehearse using the START technique for responding to behavior-based interview questions

Schedule a practice interview with your career counselor or a career ambassador.

For long-term preparation, join a local Toastmasters Club, which assists members in improving their speaking and leadership skills.

Prepare

Choose your clothing well in advance to ensure your clothing fits well and is clean and pressed, and your shoes are polished. Dress conservatively and appropriately for the company culture. If in doubt, dress up.

Get a good night’s sleep

Arrive no more than 10-15 minutes early; know where you’re going and be prepared for adverse traffic/weather conditions.

Send a thank-you note within 24 hours by email or standard mail.

Personalize it — include references to things you discussed during the interview. If you met with numerous people, send a new, customized thank you message to each individual.

Don’t miss the opportunity to reiterate interest and qualifications. If there is something important that you wish you had mentioned during the interview, take the chance to address it in the thank-you note.